Argh. Intel Warranty...

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NetJunkie

[H]F Junkie
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Mar 16, 2001
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I built two lab servers w/ Intel X3450s about 6 weeks ago. One of the servers locks up about every 16 to 24 hours. Luckily they are identical and after swapping memory I swapped the CPU and the problems followed. They are retail boxed CPUs w/ 3 year warranty so I called Intel today... "Sorry sir, the lot number here indicates this is a tray CPU and your retailer must warranty that.". Letting them know I had the box sitting in my hand didn't help... I'm waiting on a call back from a supervisor right now. I've already taken pictures showing the CPU serial matching the retail box serial...

Nice going Intel. Really great stock tracking system you have in place.
 
pxc said:
Uh oh. :p
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That's why I haven't. :) And to their defense, I'm outside the 30 days. But that's mainly due to the fact the motherboard for this system had a bad DIMM slot so I had to get that replaced first..now the CPU. Cursed.
 
I'd call Intel back. If you get the right foreigner on the other end things can go very smoothly. Some of them are just plain unhelpful.
 
"the right foreigner" haha ... but, so true.

Anytime I have to call India for an issue, I pray to god I get someone nice. Most times, little if any help. Once in awhile, I get a replacement no questions asked.
 
SixFootDuo said:
"the right foreigner" haha ... but, so true.

Anytime I have to call India for an issue, I pray to god I get someone nice. Most times, little if any help. Once in awhile, I get a replacement no questions asked.
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I debated on whether I should say "the right Indian" over "the right foreigner". :p

But it's true, if you get the right tech and they understand that you know way more than they ever will they can be very nice to deal with.:)

I find the key is being friendly yet authoritative on what is wrong with the cpu. Once you've made it abundantly clear that you've tested it in several systems and know it's a bad chip it's hard for them to ask you some question from their list of prepared questions. Heck, they are just doing their jobs and most of them probably don't own anything close to a modern computer being paid $2 a day or whatever the going rate of call centers in Mumbai is. ;)
 
My problem wasn't convincing them the chip was bad...that was easy as I have two identical servers and can swap parts..it was the fact their system says it's a tray chip and not a retail. I sent them pictures yesterday and they emailed me back to say it was escalated to a manager and I should hear back in one business day.
 
Eh, could be worse it could be microsofts india. They are so hardcore. Ugh, never have I been able to get them to call me back.
 
I know it's frustrating but I'm sure between Intel and Newegg, they'll get it sorted.
 
Intel called me back today and found "an error in their system" and my CPU was a retail box. Yeah, no kidding. I guess the pictures worked. They won't do a cross ship though so I sent the bad one out today. Keep your box! Or at least take a picture of the numbers on it.
 
That's good news, but I hope they remunerate your shipping fee's though (it's not your fault they sent you a faulty product).
 
I would make sure that they give you your shipping money back. That is totally their fault.
 
congrats on getting it sorted out with Intel rather than the egg. I had a CPU swapped out through intel and they shipped back I think the same day mine got to them, if not the next so it wasn't too bad - hopefully you'll have the same service
 
They cross shipped me some CPU replacement due to some FDIV bug in their new CPU lineup, but that was a while back...
 
Considering the issue with Newegg selling fake Intel CPUs not too long ago, I wouldn't be surprized if this is another case of Newegg using sketchy distributors for their Intel CPUs... If true, the counterfeiting operation has gotten more sophisticated in hiding their scam, if they are now selling knock-off Xeon retail boxes, using bulk tray Xeons...

It almost makes me wonder if what you received are counterfeit Xeon X3450 which are not actually Xeons at all, but Core i7-860, i7-870s, or even i5-750 processors in disguise.
 
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And people want to know why we buy all our servers.....
 
Yeah, I'm definitely in the buy servers for production bandwagon.. This is his home lab though.
 
Cyberbeing said:
Considering the issue with Newegg selling fake Intel CPUs not too long ago, I wouldn't be surprized if this is another case of Newegg using sketchy distributors for their Intel CPUs... If true, the counterfeiting operation has gotten more sophisticated in hiding their scam, if they are now selling knock-off Xeon retail boxes, using bulk tray Xeons...

It almost makes me wonder if what you received are counterfeit Xeon X3450 which are not actually Xeons at all, but Core i7-860, i7-870s, or even i5-750 processors in disguise.
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That was an initial thought but after talking to Intel this last time they said it was wrong info in their system. BIOS and everything shows it as an X3450.
 
The saga continues... Intel shipped me a new retail boxed CPU. Very good. I put the CPU in my waiting server and all was good...until the next morning when I found it locked up solid again. I rebooted the server, let it run all day and then it locked solid once more. I pulled the CPU and swapped it to another completely identical system and now that one locks up.

I just have a hard time thinking I've gotten two bad CPUs that boot, POST, and run for 8 hours before locking but I don't know what else it could be unless it's some weird combination of CPU revision and SuperMicro motherboard. I guess I'll call Intel again and RMA this one...
 
NetJunkie said:
The saga continues... Intel shipped me a new retail boxed CPU. Very good. I put the CPU in my waiting server and all was good...until the next morning when I found it locked up solid again. I rebooted the server, let it run all day and then it locked solid once more. I pulled the CPU and swapped it to another completely identical system and now that one locks up.

I just have a hard time thinking I've gotten two bad CPUs that boot, POST, and run for 8 hours before locking but I don't know what else it could be unless it's some weird combination of CPU revision and SuperMicro motherboard. I guess I'll call Intel again and RMA this one...
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Yeah that is really bizarre... are you running the latest bios on the boards? If not worth a shot anyways.
 
Database said:
Yeah that is really bizarre... are you running the latest bios on the boards? If not worth a shot anyways.
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Yep. Same bios. Same board revision. Same exact memory. No drives connected (boot via USB thumb drive). Same power supply. :) Very annoying.
 
Power? Any fault with your home electrical wiring? The timing of the events, and the particular circumstances makes me suspect that.

The cause of such things is not always obvious. Could be influenced anything from home electrical usage, to neighbor usage, even to power line sagging due to seasonal temperature cycles and brushing against a tree (this was a problem that happened to Some Small Company(R), can't find the link right now), etc etc.
 
jimhsu said:
Power? Any fault with your home electrical wiring? The timing of the events, and the particular circumstances makes me suspect that.

The cause of such things is not always obvious. Could be influenced anything from home electrical usage, to neighbor usage, even to power line sagging due to seasonal temperature cycles and brushing against a tree (this was a problem that happened to Some Small Company(R), can't find the link right now), etc etc.
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Both on a good UPS...but really, the fault follows the CPU. I have two servers. One runs 24x7 no issues. The other locks up. If I swap CPUs they switch places and the fault follows. I'll try shutting down everything on that circuit for a day just to see...
 
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